Pneumatic cleansing apparatus.



A. E. MOORHEAD,

PNEUMATIC CLEANSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 28, 1911.

1,126,828. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

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A 1%; l v N Q c 1m. I Mflrfiead THE NORRIS PETERS CO4, PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

A. B. MOORHEAD.

I BNEUMATIG CLEANSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1911.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

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'55: uomns PETERSLQ. PHOTG'LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D. c.

A E. MOORHEAD. PNEUMATIC CLEANSING APPARATUS.

I 1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1911. 1,126,828, Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTOLITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C

UNIE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT E. MOORHEAD, O15 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN ROTARY VALVE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC CLEANSING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 28, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT E. Mooni-rnixn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cleansing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

'This invention relates to pneumatic cleansing apparatus, and it includes means whereby accumulated dust or refuse may be mixed with and deposited in a body of water and discharged when necessary in a convenient manner and without the necessity of opening tanks or manual removal; means by which the water used for scrubbing and conducted from the scrubbing appliances to the cleansing apparatus can be automatically discharged therefrom into a sewer, together with other features and details of construction in such apparatus, as will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the receiver. Fig. i is a transverse section on the line l4: of Fig. 3. Fig. is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective iew of he casing for the combined agitators and propellers.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a rectangular hollow base, which forms both a receiver for containing a body of water and the dust and sweepings collected by pneumatic sweeping devices used in the system and also a support for the mechanisms for producing and controlling the exhaust or compression. Said mechanisms may be actuated either by electricity, steam or other wise, and are herein shown as actuated by the former. Referring to such actuating devices, as shown in the drawings, 2 indicates an electric motor mounted upon one end of the hollow base 1. Upon the shaft of the motor is a pulley 3 around which passes a belt 4, which also passes around a large pulley 5 on a transverse shaft 6 carrying a flywheel 7. Said shaft is provided with a crank 8 which operates through a connecting rod 9 to actuate an air pump, the cylinder Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2. 1915.

Serial No. 640,967.

of which is indicated by 10. Said pump is provided with a reversible controlling valve and maybe used, as desired, either as an air compressor to deliver air to the receiver, or as an air exhaust pump. to exhaust the air from said receiver, according to the adjustment of the said controlling valve. Said ir pump and its controlling valve is made as shown in a separate application, Serial Number 623,293, filed April 21st, 1911, and need not herein be more particularly described.

Now referring to the features of construction in the apparatus by which dust and refuse collected by vacuum operated cleansing devices and returned to the apparatus may be mixed with and deposited in a body of water contained in the receiver, these parts are made as follows: The receiver is provided at one end with an inlet passage or opening, with which is connected a main return pipe 15, which leads to the receiver from a system of pipes extending to the various parts of a building in which pneumatic cleansing devices are to be used. The receiver is provided around said inlet passage with an annular seat 16 to which is bolted a flange 17 on the pipe 15. In said pipe, near the receiver, is located a controlling valve 14 adapted for actuation by hand to out off and establish communication between said pipe and the receiver as desired. Vithin the receiver 1, adjacent to its inlet end, is located a cylindric shell or casing 18 which is arranged horizontally and transversely of the receiver, is open at its ends and is perforated or apertured in its lower part, as indicated at 19. Said casing will be so arranged with respect to the water level in the receiver, that the casing will be nearly or wholly submerged, and therefore entirely or nearly filled with water. The discharge end of the pipe 15 communicates with a tubular member 20, which forms a continuation of said pipe and extends into the receiver. Said tubular member 20 is attached to the central part of the casing 18 and connects the interior of the same with the said return pipe 15. The tubular member 20 is arranged at right angles to the casing 18, centrally thereof, and sustains said casing within the receiver. near and parallel with the adjacent end wall of said receiver. As shown. the tubular member 20 is provided with a flange 21 which is bolted to the inner face of the flange 17 on the said inlet pipe. The open ends of said shell 18 are located near the inner surfaces of the side walls of the receiver. In said cylindric casing 18 is located a transverse, horizontal shaft 22, carrying a plurality of rotative agitator blades 23, 28. Said shaft extends centrally through said casing and rotates in bearings 24, 25, formed on plates 26, 27 which are secured. to and serve to cover openings formed in, the side walls of the receiver. Said shaft extends through one of said bearings, 25, and is provided outside of the receiver with a pulley 30, driven by a belt 31 that is trained around a pulley 32, upon the shaft of the electric motor. WVhen. in operation, the agitator blades pass through or operate in the water contained in said casing. The agitator blades 23, 23, are preferably arranged obliquely and in annular sets, with the blades of the alternate annular sets in reversed relation, so that, while the blades of each annular set act like propeller blades tomove or impel the water in the casing in one direction, endwise of the same, the blades of adjacent sets will act in the opposite direction;thisconstructionbeing used to increase the agitation of the water resulting from the rotation of the blades. As the air, by the action of the air pump, is drawn into the receiver from the pipe 15, it enters the central part of the casing 18, and moving in both directions from its center toward its open ends, passes from the latter into the air space in the upper part of the receiver. The water in the receiver has free access to the casing 18, both through the perforated lower part of the same and through its open ends. The effect of the agitator blades, when rotated, is to continually agitate the water and bring it into intimate contact with the air drawn in from the suction pipe in the form of drops or spray. The air is thereby thoroughly cleansed of dust and solid refuse, which latter is mixed with and deposited in the water and accumulates in the bottom of the receiver.

It is necessary from time to time to discharge from the receiver the water therein when the latter becomes unduly ladened with dust and refuse separated from the air. To effect this, water from a suitable source of supply is admitted into a pipe 35 extending horizontally of the receiver, within the same. Said pipe is shown as extending through the end wall of the receiver, at the outlet end of the latter, and as supported by a bracket 36 from the top of the receiver. To said pipe 35 are connected depending flexible tubes 37 of rubber or the like, and to the lower end of each of said tubes is connected a rotary sprinkler 38. Each sprinkler consists of a plurality of hollow arms, attached to and radiating, from a hollow hub,

mounted to rotate on a terminal metal piece or nipple on the lower end of the flexible tube, said arms having laterally directed discharge or jet openings 88*. The jets of water issuing from said jet openings oper ate by reaction to produce rotative motion in the arms of the sprinklers, in a well known manner. Said sprinklers are located near the bottom of the receiver, so that they are immersed in the body of water therein contained. When water under pressure is admitted to said pipe 35, it emerges with considerable force through the jet openings 38 of the sprinklers, thereby not only producing rotary motion in the same, but acting to thoroughly-agitate the water and stir up the mud or deposits in the bottom of the receiver. This agitation of the water and mud is increased by the shaking motion imparted to the flexible hose itself from the back pressure of the jets of water issuing from the jet openings 38. The pipe 85 is also provided with depending branch pipes 39, the lower ends of which are provided with jet openings or nozzles directed downwardly and toward the discharge end of the container, or the end thereof remote from that into which the return pipe discharges. The receiver is provided at such discharge end with a discharge outlet 40 located at the level of the bottom wall of the said receiver, for the discharge of the mud or the muddy water therefrom. The bottom wall of the receiver is preferably sloped or inclined toward said outlet, in order to facilitate the drainage of water from the receiver. A discharge pipe 41 is connected with said outlet 40, and leads to a sewer or other place of discharge. Said discharge pipe is preferably provided with a valve 42 adapted to be opened and closed by hand.

The apparatus is'designed to be used in connection with vacuum operated scrubbing appliances of that kind in which water used for cleansing is drawn from a floor which is being scrubbed through the action of the vacuum created in'the pipe 15, when the air pump is acting as an exhaust pump to pro duce a partial vacuum in the receiver. In such case the continued operations of scrubbing and drawing in the water will result in the accumulation of water in the receiver, and, if such accumulation be allowed to uni duly continue, the water will fill the receiver and will rise into the pump cylinder. To avoid the possibility of this taking place, there is provided a liquid delivery pump embracing a pump-cylinder 15 attached to the side wall of the receiver and communicating with the interior of the same by a pipe 46, which extends horizontally through the side wall of the receiver at a point between the top and bottom of the same. Said pipe 46 has a depending branch 47 and an upwardly extending branch 48. The upper end of said branch 48 is provided with a valve 49, by which it may be opened and closed, as desired. As shown, such valve consists of a vertically movable plug or valve member 50 adapted to fit within a valve seat formed in the open upper end of said branch, and provided with an upright valve stem or rod 51 that extends upwardly through the top wall of the receiver. Said valve rod or stem is shown as passing through a stufiing box 58, in the top wall of the receiver, by which a tight joint is maintained between the rod and said top wall. At its upper end the valve rod 51 is provided with a handle 52 by which the valve may be conveniently operated. In said pump cylinder 45 reciprocates a plunger 55 connected by a rod 56 with a crank-pin 57 carried by the transverse shaft 6. To the discharge opening of the pump cylinder is connected a pipe 58 connected with two branch pipes 59 and 60. In the pipe 58 is a check-valve 61 which opens in a direction to permit free passage of water from the pump. The branch-pipe 59 leads to the water discharge pipe 41, and is provided with a hand-operated valve 62. The branch pipe 60 is provided with a hand-operated valve 63 and is connected with distributing pipes that lead to various points in the building.

In the usual operation of the apparatus, except as hereinafter described, the valve 49, at the upper end of the branch-pipe 48, is kept open with the effect that, so long as the level of the Water in the receiver remains below the top of the said branch pipe, which forms the upper inlet opening to the pipe 46, no action of the liquid pump takes place, but, when the level of the water in the receiver rises, by the accumulation due to scrubbing, above the top of the said branch pipe 46, the pump acts to withdraw a part of the water and discharges it through the check-valve .61 and pipe 59 into the sewer.

By the employment of the several features and combination of parts hereinbefore described, I am enabled to obtain results and advantages as follows: By the use of the features of construction described in the device for separating the dust from the air, the dust is positively and certainly separated from the air and mixed with and deposited in the body of water in the receiver, and by the employment of the automatically acting liquid pump, and water jet appliances, surplus water is discharged from the receiver and the mud or accumulated deposits in the receiver discharged from the latter when necessary. Moreover, the employment of a receiver adapted to contain a body of water, together with an air pump adapted to compress the air into the receiver, and also exhaust air therefrom, and means for mixing the dust with the water in the receiver and for discharging the water there from when desired, enables the same apparatus to be used at one time for furnishing air under pressure to cleansing devices and at another time to receive and dispose of the dust and dirt gathered by the action of vacuum operated cleaningdevices.

It is to be understood that an apparatus embodying the general features of construction hereinbefore set forth may be variously modified Without departure from my invention, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the specific features of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings except so far as the same may be specifically claimed in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a receiver adapted to contain water, and provided with air inlet and discharge openings and a water and dirt discharge opening located at the bottom thereof, and a water pipe having jet openings below the water line and adjacent to the bottom of said receiver, acting to supply water to and to agitate the water and dirt within said receiver.

2. In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a receiver adapted to contain water and provided with air inlet and discharge openings and a Water and dirt discharge opening at its bottom, a water supply pipe extending into said receiver having jet openings located below the water level in said receiver, said jet openings being directed toward the sides and bottom of said receiver and adapted to agitate the water for the purpose of moving the dirt deposited in said receiver.

3. In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a receiver adapted to contain water, a suction pipe connected with said receiver, means for maintaining a partial vacuum in said receiver, a water pipe projecting into said receiver, and a rotative discharge nozzle connected with said water pipe adapted to supply water to the receiver and to agitate the water therein by means of its rotative motion.

a. In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, the combination of a receiver adapted to contain water and provided with air inlet and discharge openings and a water and dirt discharge opening at its bottom, means for maintaining a substantially constant water level in said receiver, and means for supplying water to said receiver, comprising a Water pipe projecting below the water level in the receiver and provided with jet openings directed toward the sides and bottom walls and toward said water and dirt discharge opening of said receiver and said water supplying means being adapted to agitate the water in said receiver during the operation of the machine, and to cleanse the inner walls of said receiver when the water has been discharged therefrom.

5. In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, the combination of a receiver having an inlet located below the water level therein,'an air exhaust pump connected with the receiver above the water level therein, and means for agitating the water at the bottom of the receiver, embracing a supply pipe, and a rotative sprinkler located adjacent to the bottom of the receiver below the water level therein, said sprinkler turning on a vertical axis and being provided with rotative tubular, laterally apertured, horizontal arms.

6. In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, the combination of a receiver provided with an inlet and with a valved discharge opening located at one of its ends, and at the level of its bottom, an air exhaust pump connected with the receiver above the water level therein, a return pipe connected with the inlet to the receiver, means located below the water level in said receiver and embracing a' rotary member adapted for mechanically agitating the water in the bottom of the receiver, a water supply projecting below the water level and provided with discharge nozzles directed toward the said discharge outlet of the receiver for washing out the solid matter deposited therein.

7 In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, the combination of a receiver provided with a valve discharge opening located at one of its ends, and at the level of its bottom, means for supplying water torthe receiver, means for maintaining a substantially constant water level in the receiver, a sprinkler turning on a vertical axis and having rotative tubular, laterally apertured arms, located below the water level of the receiver, for stirring up the solid matters deposited on the bottom of the same, and a pipe supplying water to said sprinkler, said pipe being provided with discharge nozzles directed toward the said discharge outlet of the receiver.

8. In a pneumatic cleansing apparatus, the combination of a receiver having an inlet, an exhaust pump connected with the said receiver, means for supplying water to said receiver, a return pipe communicating with the inlet of said receiver, and means for separating dust from the air entering through said return pipe comprising a cylindric casing located within the receiver, said casing and means for separating dust from the air entering the casing through said return pipe,

comprising rotative agitator blades located within the said casing.

10. In a dust collector, the combination of a water tank, means for maintaining a partial vacuum above the water line in said tank, a pipe leading into said tank, a casing in said tank with which said pipe communicates, said casing having a plurality of openings adapted to allow circulation ofwater through said casing, and an agitator within the casing.

11. In a dust collector, the combination of a water tank, provided with air inlet and discharge openings, a casing in said tank communicating with said inlet opening, said casing having openings therein disposed below the water line to permit the passage of water throughsaid casing and an agitator within said casing adapted to mix the air and water in said casing.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of July, A. D. 1911.

ALBERT E. MOORHEAD. IVitnesses:

Gnoaen It. WVILKIns, T. H. ALrREns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

